Planning Early...

Some of you may call me crazy but if you know me well, I LOVE birthdays, so yes I have already been thinking of decorations, crafts and fun things for Katelyn's first. My husband thinks I am nuts but thankfully I have a mom who shares in my craziness and we are having fun with the planning. I have been scouring online sites, blogs and images to get ideas and inspirations for a big bash on a budget! I have come across a lot of sites that have become new favorites and Jessica at Blah Blah Blogging happens to be one of them. She posted pictures of her daughters 1st birthday and I just loved everything she created. She also put into words exactly how I feel about birthdays and here is an excerpt from her blog:

"So many people told me that a first birthday celebration is just for me, since the baby won't remember. This is true, yet I knew I wanted to celebrate big, make a fuss, hand-make every decoration, stay up late cooking and crafting and gluing, and invite all the little friends and their families over. I've been thinking about this party, this event to celebrate the life and miracle of my angel baby girl, for months, but I couldn't articulate to myself why I wanted such a big fuss." (This is so true and so me, I am glad to see I am not the only one!) "Then I read a post and was struck by a short quote from a mother who lost her daughter to a choking accident two weeks shy of her second birthday. In a letter to her son on his first birthday, she wrote, "Dearest Little Peter Boy, I didn't know that your sister, Lucy, would have only one birthday. Just one. We had a small party for her. And it was sweet and wonderful. But after she passed away, I realized what a big deal birthdays are. Another year alive. Another year with our loved ones. And I vowed that I would make your first birthday a huge celebration. And we did! It was all I could have hoped for and more." I agree. They're a big deal and they are indeed a miracle. One which I do not take for granted a great birthday party was my way of expressing that and reveling in it. I thank God for my precious baby."

As I read this it not only brought tears to my eyes but I also thought it captured so many true feelings I have. For me making occasions special for her is not going to be about spending a lot of money its going to be about a lot of love and crafty creations to make it memorable!

Here's an inspirational picture from Jessica's site (hoping she doesn't mind). Also check out her Craftily Ever After blog for some great crafting ideas.